The U.S. government has once again entered a shutdown.
One of its most visible effects can be seen right at Denver International Airport, where essential federal workers are still expected to show up for work, without pay.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees are considered essential. A spokesperson for DIA confirmed those workers are going unpaid in this year's shutdown.
“TSA and FAA Air Traffic Control staff are required to continue working unpaid during a federal shutdown. That being said, we cannot guarantee that TSA and FAA staffing would not be affected,” the airport wrote.
The effects aren’t projected to have an immediate impact on travel — barring that the shutdown doesn’t last long.
How did previous shutdowns impact the airport?
During the last government shutdown in 2018, which lasted for 35 days, some TSA agents and air traffic controllers called out sick over not getting paid.
In a now-deleted statement from TSA on Jan. 15, 2019, the agency reported an unscheduled absence rate of 6.8 percent in 2019, compared to a 2.5 percent rate the year before, and attributed the increase to the shutdown.
TSA screening times weren’t heavily impacted either, according to the statement, with most passengers waiting no more than 30 minutes.
But just in case, get there on time.
DIA is still advising travelers to arrive at the airport about two hours before their boarding time and to check with their airline directly for flight updates.
